The chemistry between Stanley Baker’s Rochester and Daphne Slater’s Jane Eyre makes this adaptation by Constance Cox and Ian Dallas special. A major production for 1956 that stretched resources to the limits, it is an affecting and atmospheric six-part drama that tells Brontë’s story in great depth. Historically important as one of the earliest surviving complete TV series, it is intelligently written and performed – and offers a rare opportunity to see the great Stanley Baker in a period role on television. – Marcus Prince

The heady Gothic atmosphere in Charlotte Brontë’s novel is pushed to the hilt in Robert Stevenson’s adaptation. Shot on sound stages, it still captures the bleakness of the Yorkshire moors better than many other versions. Joan Fontaine makes a nervous but sympathetic Jane Eyre, who survives a rough upbringing to take a job as a governess at Thornfield Hall, where she begins a doomed romance with the brooding Edward Rochester, played with real relish by Orson Welles. – James Bell

1 comment:

I saw the 1956 version on Sunday and it was far better than I thought it would be. So sad this version is hidden away. Even 'The Enthusiast's Guide to Jane Eyre Adaptations' elsewhere on the web ignores it. Anyway, you can read my thoughts on it at my blog at http://loureviews.wordpress.com/tag/jane-eyre/.